WMTW NEWS 8'S TYLER CADORETTE SHARES A LETTER ADDRESSING CRITICISM TOWARD THE SCHOOL. TC: IN THIS FOUR PAGE LETTER TO PARENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY... CAPE ELIZABETH HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL JEFF SHEDD SAYS SCHOOL OFFICIALS CONDUCTED DOZENS OF INTERVIEWS AND CLOSELY MONITORED THE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN A RECENT SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATION. LETTER VO: IN THE LETTER... SHEDD SAYS THE INVESTIGATION STARTED AFTER HANDWRITTEN NOTES ABOUT AN ALLEGED RAPIST AT THE SCHOOL WERE DISCOVERED. ACCORDING TO THE LETTER... SEVERAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND A RESOURCE OFFICER CONDUCTED 47 INTERVIEWS. CAPE E VO? THOSE INTERVIEWS REVEALED MULTIPLE SEXUAL ASSAULT RUMORS... WHICH SHEDD SAYS ULTIMATELY WEREN'T TRUE AFTER TALKING WITH THE ALLEGED VICTIMS. SHEDD NOTED THERE WAS A LEGAL CASE INVOLVING TWO STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL... BUT THAT WAS DROPPED AND NEVER INVOLVED THE SCHOOL. FS GFX: IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC BACKLASH ABOUT THE DECISION TO SUSPEND THE THREE STUDENTS WHO POSTED THE NOTES... SHEDD WROTE... "THE STUDENTS WHO POSTED THE STICKY NOTES MADE A BAD CHOICE EVEN THOUGH THEIR INTENTIONS WERE GOOD. PEOPLE WERE HURT BY THOSE BAD CHOICES." VO: THE LETTER ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE SCHOOL HAS HELD TWO SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS EVENTS FOR UPPERCLASSMEN IN RECENT YEARS... WITH ANOTHER SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SPRING. FS GFX: SHEDD CONTINUED BY SAYING.... "I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE TRICKY NUANCES OF TITLE IX ? AND ABOUT THE COMPLICATED INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE LAW SURROUNDING MANDATED REPORTING." VO: TITLE 9 IS MAINE'S MANDATED REPORTING LAW. SHEDD SAYS HE WELCOMES ANY PARENT QUESTIONS GOING FORWARD... AND FULLY SUPPORTS HIS STAFF'S WORK. TC: I REACHED OUT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT... PRINCIPAL SHEDD... AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS WHO WAS SUSPENDED -- AEL

Cape Elizabeth High School Principal Jeffrey Shedd strongly defended the school's response to allegations of sexual assault in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday.The school has faced criticism after three students were suspended for posting sticky notes that said "There's a rapist in our school, and you know who it is."About three dozen students walked out of class on Monday to question the suspensions and to draw attention to alleged sexual assaults.Superintendent Donna Wolfrom said earlier this week that the sticky notes were deemed bullying because the subject of the notes was identifiable to students.Shedd, in his letter to parents, said the school has received calls and emails from across the country about the controversy."Yesterday, two secretaries handled separate phone calls from the same ranting gentleman from western New York state, who concluded his tirade by saying he was thinking of driving to CEHS. I referred that one to the police, along with one other. This has to stop," Shedd said.Shedd said the three suspended students posted the sticky notes in two bathrooms on Sept. 16. He said the students who were "well motivated, with good intentions, made a really bad choice."Sophomore Aela Mansmann said she was one of those students."Myself and the others suspended have to go through a class on how not to bully and what bullying means," Mansmann said on Monday.Shedd said other students notified school staff about the sticky notes within minutes."They knew posting notes in the bathroom was the wrong way to raise such concerns. They trusted us to act," Shedd said.Shedd said four school officials and the school's resource officer proceeded to conduct 47 interviews over a three-week period."We had two paramount questions we needed to answer: Is the school safe? Is there a rapist in school?" the letter said.Shedd said school officials were aware of an incident involving two students that occurred during the last school year off school grounds. Shedd said that incident involved a legal process that was eventually no longer pursued by a female student and her family.Shedd said school officials contacted the girl involved with the legal complaint, who said she "feels safe and supported at CEHS." Shedd said that, as the investigation proceeded, they needed to follow up with her four more times and, each time, she said she felt safe and supported.As the school investigation continued, Shedd said officials uncovered "rumors about two other alleged situations involving a CEHS student who was the clearly intended target of the sticky note messages." Shedd said there were rumors of a disturbing video.Shedd said in the letter that, within hours, school officials got access to two Snapchat videos that were the basis of the rumor. Shedd said the videos did not show what the rumor described. "Not even close. Not surprising," Shedd said.The letter said the investigation then uncovered another rumor of an alleged incident that occurred at a recent prom. Shedd said that rumor turned out to be unfounded.Shedd said that, during the investigation, the student who was the target of the sticky notes missed eight days of school because he felt unsafe. The boy's family said the situation felt like bullying and asked the school to look into it. Shedd said the boy is now back at school.Shedd's letter was critical of the media, saying, "You are passing along rumors as if they were established fact. They are not."The students who were suspended can have the suspension removed from their record once they become seniors if they have a good record after returning to school, according to Shedd.He said the school plans to hold its third Sexual Assault Awareness for Everyone event in the spring."I am proud to be CEHS's principal. I am proud of the student heroes who came to us and shared with us. I have every confidence we will grow as staff, students and a community from this," Shedd said.

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine —

Cape Elizabeth High School Principal Jeffrey Shedd strongly defended the school's response to allegations of sexual assault in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday.

The school has faced criticism after three students were suspended for posting sticky notes that said "There's a rapist in our school, and you know who it is."

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About three dozen students walked out of class on Monday to question the suspensions and to draw attention to alleged sexual assaults.

Superintendent Donna Wolfrom said earlier this week that the sticky notes were deemed bullying because the subject of the notes was identifiable to students.

Shedd, in his letter to parents, said the school has received calls and emails from across the country about the controversy.

"Yesterday, two secretaries handled separate phone calls from the same ranting gentleman from western New York state, who concluded his tirade by saying he was thinking of driving to CEHS. I referred that one to the police, along with one other. This has to stop," Shedd said.

Shedd said the three suspended students posted the sticky notes in two bathrooms on Sept. 16. He said the students who were "well motivated, with good intentions, made a really bad choice."

Sophomore Aela Mansmann said she was one of those students.

"Myself and the others suspended have to go through a class on how not to bully and what bullying means," Mansmann said on Monday.

Shedd said other students notified school staff about the sticky notes within minutes.

"They knew posting notes in the bathroom was the wrong way to raise such concerns. They trusted us to act," Shedd said.

Shedd said four school officials and the school's resource officer proceeded to conduct 47 interviews over a three-week period.

"We had two paramount questions we needed to answer: Is the school safe? Is there a rapist in school?" the letter said.

Shedd said school officials were aware of an incident involving two students that occurred during the last school year off school grounds. Shedd said that incident involved a legal process that was eventually no longer pursued by a female student and her family.

Shedd said school officials contacted the girl involved with the legal complaint, who said she "feels safe and supported at CEHS." Shedd said that, as the investigation proceeded, they needed to follow up with her four more times and, each time, she said she felt safe and supported.

As the school investigation continued, Shedd said officials uncovered "rumors about two other alleged situations involving a CEHS student who was the clearly intended target of the sticky note messages." Shedd said there were rumors of a disturbing video.

Shedd said in the letter that, within hours, school officials got access to two Snapchat videos that were the basis of the rumor. Shedd said the videos did not show what the rumor described. "Not even close. Not surprising," Shedd said.

The letter said the investigation then uncovered another rumor of an alleged incident that occurred at a recent prom. Shedd said that rumor turned out to be unfounded.

Shedd said that, during the investigation, the student who was the target of the sticky notes missed eight days of school because he felt unsafe. The boy's family said the situation felt like bullying and asked the school to look into it. Shedd said the boy is now back at school.

Shedd's letter was critical of the media, saying, "You are passing along rumors as if they were established fact. They are not."

The students who were suspended can have the suspension removed from their record once they become seniors if they have a good record after returning to school, according to Shedd.

He said the school plans to hold its third Sexual Assault Awareness for Everyone event in the spring.

"I am proud to be CEHS's principal. I am proud of the student heroes who came to us and shared with us. I have every confidence we will grow as staff, students and a community from this," Shedd said.